Applied Nanolayers BV (ANL) and SoundCell BV have received €275,000 R&D funding from Provincie Zuid-Holland to develop a prototype for SoundCell’s high throughput single-cell graphene antibiotic sensitivity test.
The announcement follows research undertaken at TU Delft and published in Nature Nanotechnology last year where ultrathin bilayer graphene was used to detect nanoscale forces – at least 1000 times smaller than a mosquito bite – generated by single bacteria.
By tracking the changes in the bacteria’s nanomotion when different types of antibiotics are administered, the team were able to demonstrate that graphene drums can effectively perform antibiotic susceptibility testing with single-cell sensitivity.
This breakthrough in measuring antibiotic efficacy has major implications for public health worldwide. The technology has the potential to enable very fast antibiotic testing in healthcare settings, giving physicians a much more effective diagnostic toolkit for fast detection of antibiotic resistance in clinical practice, leading to more effective treatment, and acting as an invaluable tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
The 18-month project will optimise the antibiotic sensitivity platform, bringing it closer to market. Enhancing the throughput of the platform, developing faster read-out schemes, and validating it against a variety of pathogenic samples, the funding will accelerate development of a clinical-grade graphene-based antibiotic screening device that is manufacturable in high volumes.